India committed to development, says minister

NEW DELHI: India said that it remained committed to development work in Afghanistan, a day after the Indian embassy in Kabul was the target of a terror attack.

���India believes that cause of democracy and peace in Afghanistan can be served best through development programmes, which the Afghan government and people need urgently,��� minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur said.

She noted India has successfully completed several infrastructure projects in Afghanistan.
The minister���s remarks come a day after the second terror attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul in which 17 people were killed and 83 injured, including three ITBP personnel. Ms Kaur also said India had ���committed��� itself to provide assistance.

���India has committed to assist them, with such assistance estimated at $1.2 billion,��� she said. The minister���s remarks came as foreign secretary Nirupama Rao travelled to Kabul on a two-day visit to review the situation and meet with the Afghan leadership. Ms Rao met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who assured India that a thorough investigation would be conducted into the attack. Mr Karzai, according to reports, stressed that India and Afghanistan are on the same side in the fight against terrorism.

The Afghan foreign ministry on Thursday had pointed the needle of suspicion towards Pakistan, saying the blast was ���planned and implemented from outside the borders of Afghanistan���.

During his meeting with Ms Rao, Mr Karzai said India and Afghanistan are on the same side. The foreign secretary also held detailed discussions with Afghan foreign minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta.

Ms Rao also expressed grief at the loss of 17 innocent lives in the attack and extended sympathies to the families of those who were killed and injured in the terror attack.

The foreign secretary said her visit was also aimed at expressing solidarity with the people of Afghanistan. On the bomb blast, Ms Rao said investigations are on.

The foreign secretary also visited the Indian Embassy to see the damage caused to the premises by the blast.
Meanwhile, the minister of state for external affairs, who was speaking at an India-EU forum, also sought enhanced cooperation between India and the European Union in tackling the ���biggest challenge��� of terrorism. ���India and the EU need to address the menace of terrorism with coordination and cooperation,��� she said.